1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fuel inlet pipes and, more specifically, to a cylindrical pipe used in a vehicle fuel tank inlet and having a first and a second valve.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional fuel inlet pipe is mounted at the inlet to a fuel tank. The pipe has an opening on one end, into which a fuel enters from the fuel filler pipe during refueling. A one-way plunger valve is located at the opposite end permitting fuel to flow into a fuel tank and preventing fuel from coming out. When a fuel tank is being filled through the pipe, the hydrostatic force of the rising fuel level works to close the plunger valve, causing fuel to back up the fuel filler pipe and the nozzle to shut off. This prevents a user from filling the tank to capacity, and only allows them to fill the tank to the level where hydrostatic forces inside the tank allow. Normally, this is not a problem for the average automobile consumer, because each manufacturer must position the inlet pipe to be unaffected by hydrostatic forces and to make closing of the valve coincide with a designed automatic stop. However, in industries where fuel capacity is an issue, such as racing and hauling, the inability to fill a tank to capacity is a problem.
Therefore, it is the object and feature of the invention to provide an improved cylindrical fuel inlet pipe that, as the tank fills, keeps the inlet open so that the tank can accept the designed amount of fuel.